EurekAlert! News by Subject: Biology - News by Subject: Biology

Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 6-May-2025 20:09 ET (7-May-2025 00:09 GMT/UTC)

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers identify gene signature for high-risk form of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have discovered the underlying biology that identifies a subset of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have a higher risk version of the disease and are more likely to relapse despite treatment. The findings allowed researchers to identify new potential therapeutic treatments for patients with this specific form of cancer with a high risk of recurrence

Journal: Nature Cancer
Funder: Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, Gabriella Miller Kids First, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Hyundai Hope On Wheels, NIH/National Institutes of Health, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrison Willing Memorial Research Fund, Invisible Prince Foundation, Aiden Everett Davies Innovation Fund, NIH Medical Scientist Training Program, Novartis

How climate change threatens this iconic Florida bird

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new analysis of data from a long-term study, published in Ornithological Advances, finds that warmer winters driven by climate change reduced the number of offspring raised annually by the federally threatened Florida scrub-jay by 25% since 1981.

Funder: Archbold Biological Station, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, U.S. National Science Foundation

Key brain circuit for female sexual rejection uncovered

Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has pinpointed a critical neural circuit for sexual rejection, identifying a set of brain cells that play a crucial role in determining whether a female accepts or rejects mating attempts based on her reproductive cycle. Their findings, published today in Neuron, deepen our understanding of how the brain regulates social and reproductive behaviours.

Journal: Neuron

Association of severe maternal morbidity with subsequent birth

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that women who experience severe maternal morbidity in their first birth are less likely to have a subsequent birth. Adequate reproductive counseling and enhancing antenatal care are crucial for women with a history of severe maternal morbidity.

Journal: JAMA

Chromosomal chaos promotes therapy resistance in leukemia cells and opens up new treatment approaches

German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Chromosomal instability plays a crucial role in the progression of cancer: it shapes the properties of tumor cells and drives the development of therapy resistance. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Heidelberg Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM* and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) used state-of-the-art single-cell analysis methods to analyze the cellular heterogeneity of a specific form of acute myeloid leukemia. Their data show how genetic and non-genetic factors determine the functional heterogeneity of blood cancer cells and reveal new therapeutic targets.

Journal: Nature Genetics

Study exposes global ‘blind spot’ in human rights protections for dissidents

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

States are failing to address the impact of such Transnational Human Rights Violations (THRVs), leaving them in breach of commitments in UN treaties that require them to protect the human rights of everyone within their territory, the research shows.

While prominent acts of violence, such as the Salisbury poisoning and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, have made the news, most THRVs happen out of the public eye, says the paper.

Journal: Journal of Human Rights Practice

3D snapshots unveil the intricate dance of RNA folding

Aarhus University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the United States and Denmark have successfully captured 3D images of individual RNA nanoparticles in the midst of their folding process. Utilizing a cutting-edge electron microscopy technique, the team has unlocked new insight into the intricate folding dance leading to the final shape of RNA molecules.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond, US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, European Research Council, Novo Nordisk Foundation